An Era of Conscience Takes Hollywood by Storm Awakening people’s conscience through cultural exchange
Hollywood, California, June 6---Over 300 people including Hollywood actors, musicians, film makers, and celebrities, such as Allan Jay Friedman, Margaret O’Brien, Randal Malone, Antonio Gellini, Carmelita Pittman, Rebecca Holden, Joel Diamond, Alston Koch, and Eslam Shams attended a red carpet event entitled “The Awakening of Conscience: World Citizens Supporting Love and Peace” at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City on June 6, 2015; 150 volunteers from Asia, the United Kingdom, Canada, northern California, and the greater L.A. areas, traveled at their own expense to Hollywood to facilitate this event which combined the cultures of the West and the East. President Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, Chairman of Foreign Affair Committee in House of Representatives Ed Royce, US Congressman, Michael Honda, California’s Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff, California Assembly Member Ling Ling Chang, California Assembly Member, Young Kim, Honorary Chairman of Microsoft Bill Gate and Mayor of Alhambra Gary Yamaguchi all send their congratulation letters to wish the best for the event.
The organizers of the event included the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL), Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy (TJM), Association of World Citizens AWC), and the World Film Institute. As part of the ongoing global movement of An Era of Conscience, the event was the Hollywood debut for the movement. The entire event including a luncheon was funded by the organizers without any fund raisers or business advertisements. Rebecca Holden, an actress and singer, Joel Diamond, a music producer, Alston Koch, a singer-songwriter, film producer, record producer, and actor, and Eslam Shams, a comedian and Ensemble Academy Award winning actor, were the MCs of the event; each volunteering their time and talents for the event.
In addition to Hollywood celebrities, the event was also graced by other visionary leaders such as former U.S. Congresswoman and Ambassador Diane E. Watson, Consul Endang Mardeyani of Consulate General of Indonesia in Los Angeles and other distinguished guests.
At 11:00 a.m., the main event was kicked off by the singing of the Star Spangled Banner by Rebecca Holden followed by powerful drum and cymbal performances by Tai Ji Men members. A short video presentation was given to introduce FOWPAL’s objective and achievements. Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze the President of FOWPAL, gave his welcome remarks, “If every world citizen can listen to the calling from the conscience deep within, we will be able to resolve conflicts and calamities by bearing a kind heart, saying good words, doing good deeds, and respecting ourselves, others, heaven and earth. At this critical moment, we are in a race against time; every conscience that is awakened counts and will increase the odds of our survival. Only when we work hand-in-hand and get more people to awaken their conscience will we bring hope for tomorrow.”
Allan Jay Friedman, President and CEO of The Family Film Awards and The Olympia Awards, presented a humanitarian award to Dr. Hong in recognition of Dr. Hong’s great contribution to world peace and love.
A rarely seen, ancient, and solemn ceremony of ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love was held to memorialize An Era of Conscience in Hollywood, California, the United States and the whole world. Over the past ten plus years, the bell has traveled every populated continent of the world and has garnered the energy of love and peace from across the planet. To date, 267 visionaries from 87 nations have rung the “Bell of World Peace and Love,” including 27 heads of state and heads of government agencies, 7 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, UN ambassadors, and leaders in various fields. At the event, Diane E. Watson, former U.S. Congresswoman and Ambassador, Allan Jay Friedman, an award winning producer-writer-composer-lyricist, founder and president of Picture Book Productions, and president and CEO of The Family Film Awards and The Olympia Awards, Randal Malone, president of the Southern California Motion Picture Council, and Antonio Gellini, founder of The Family Film Awards and The Olympia Awards rang the “Bell of World Peace and Love” and made their wishes for peace.
A focus ceremony was then presented to share the global responses to the movement of An Era of Conscience. Since its inception on January 1, 2014, people from 188 nations have participated in the movement; over 2900 organizations have joined as joint promoters, and over 200,000 people have endorsed the “Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience.” From heads of state to children, people of all ages and all walks of life have consolidated good thoughts and deeds to create the butterfly effect of positive changes around the world. Today, the positive influences have brightened Hollywood.
Dr. Hong led all honored guests to make the hand gesture of conscience and invited all people to jointly promote the movement of An Era of Conscience. Representatives of the organizers of ANEOC and all honored guests and participants took a group photo with the “Smiley Earth.” In celebration of the arrival of the Era of Conscience in Hollywood, during the event Antonio Gellini announced the nominations for the 2015 Family Film Awards.
A special cultural feast of martial arts, dance, and music aimed to awaken the conscience in people’s hearts, was presented. A group of Tai Ji Men members, some who have practiced qigong for over 20 years, drew upon the unity of their hearts and qi (energy) to deliver an electrifying demonstration of unique Tai Ji Men martial arts performances. A team of young ladies from Tai Ji Men, beaming with beautiful smiles, presented a graceful dance called “feather-fan dance.” A Tai Ji Men member performed a piece of ancient Chinese vocal music, accented by her elegant mastery of the Tai Ji Sword held in her hand. Their performances radiated powerful, happy, and calming energy to the audience. Tai Ji Men members, ranging from elementary school students to senior citizens, shared with the audience their improvements in physical health, stress management, and spiritual health after practicing Tai Ji Men Qigong.
In support of An Era of Conscience, Hollywood musicians dedicated their songs to the event. Rebecca Holden and Kevin Sasaki sang a duet “Dreams Come True,” rock star Fiz Anthony presented motivational songs like “We’re Sayin’ Now”, and Jeff Silbar presented an uplifting singing performance while playing the guitar. Volunteers for ANEOC sang the inspirational theme song of the movement of An Era of Conscience and a peaceful song called “We Are One World.”
The event concluded with a group photo of all participants with the “Smiley Earth.”
After the event, Allen Jay Friedman, one of the bell ringers, said, “I love what Dr. Hong is doing. I’m trying to elevate the world through media and entertainment. The wish I made is: to transform the world from being mind-driven to heart-driven and make it a safe, free, and noble place for children. If you want to tell the truth, make it fun. I do so with media.”
“Randal Malone, another bell ringer, said, “You receive so many beautiful messages and positive energy from this room. It was quite an experience….It’s like a spiritual experience. Everyone was so wonderful and so lovely. I don’t think I know any other way to spend an afternoon than to have spent it here….I rang the bell. I felt like a positive energy soaring through me like a very, very good vibration….I felt ringing the bell sent out a positive energy to everyone in the room and hopefully even beyond that. I wished for peace within everybody’s heart. If you have love in your heart, you can even have peace. There is no peace without love. There is no love without peace.”